Camp 9 in Listvyanka from the 26th of July to the 8th of August 2004 Two weeks full of adventures at Lake Baikal!
by Diana Täschner
This year we, my boyfriend and I, spent our holidays in Russia. Actually, we had already included this country in our travel planning frequently, but always with the addition of the word sometime. Therefore we immediately snapped at the chance as we read the article in the newspaper. Lake Baikal, building a hiking trail, getting to know other adventurers, and living in a camp, we just had to apply.
And now, looking at it 2 months later, it seems almost unreal again.
Applying for the visas, planning the journey, packing, and then we finally hit the road. Because we were travelling on a shoestring (which is possible in Russia, too!), we took the bus to Moscow and from there the aeroplane to Irkutsk. Here we were welcomed by Tatjana, the organiser on location. During the journey by bus and ship to our camp we got to know our group. Two unforgettable weeks followed, beyond any civilisation and with beautiful weather and breathtaking nature. We slept in small tents, we cooked in big buckets over the fire. Camp fire, cosy get-together, interesting conversations, hikes in the surrounding area, bathing in the 10° C cold Lake Baikal, remote villages, and of course working at the hiking trail. And then this wonderful time was already over. But we still had some days that we wanted to spend in Irkutsk. Tatjana helped us with looking for accommodation and planning our excursions. Thus we had the chance to take a train driving on an old railroad track directly along Lake Baikal (very recommendable!), to explore the Angara by boat, or to visit the town of Angarsk.
We completed our four weeks by visiting friends in Moscow for a week. Altogether we had a memorable time with lots of fun and I can say for sure that this was not our last journey to Russia and Siberia.
Despite all we have to say that such a camp without any luxury and with abdication of lots of daily things doesn't suit everyone. For us it wasn't hard to customise as we have gone camping since years. But if you can do without a shower every now and then and don't care to spoon up your soup out of plastic plates, you will gain lots of new experiences and definitely have a lot of fun.
If you are planning to take part in the project in summer 2005, I am at your disposal. I will gladly answer your questions and can give you hints of my own experience.
If you are interested, please write an email to info@baikalplan.de
